For many years, my meals came from a box, a takeout bag or a restaurant kitchen. This is my attempt to try and change that. From this day forward, I resolve to embrace the kitchen. Let's get cooking!

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Friday, March 19, 2010

Laugenbroetchen (aka German Bretzel rolls)

Last May, my mom and I ate at a fantastic German organic bistro that served sandwiches on bretzel rolls while we were traveling in Chicago. The cafe, Hannah's Bretzels, pretty much blew me away. They use fresh, quality, local and nutritious ingredients to prepare a delicious meal. Their facebook descriptions lists them as: "Chicago's 1st Earth Conscious quick service sandwich business focusing on Organic Ingredients and Whole Grain nutrition + the Environment." They even do their deliveries on a bike! Ah. Maze. Ing.

The only downfall? Currently, their only locations are in the Loop. Thus, they are opened for limited hours to accommodate the business crowds. Obviously, this is resourceful from the business standpoint, but I couldn't help but crave their sandwiches during non-business hours. And well, since we don't live in Chicago, there isn't much I can do when I am craving a sandwich at 9pm on a Sunday evening.

So, I've become accustomed to making up my own bretzel rolls and recreating some of the shop's sandwiches. I will admit that this bretzel recipe is not as good as Hannah's, but it certainly fills the void. I'm proud to admit that my yeast/bread making skills are improving. I get some type of sick pleasure kneading my own dough, despite having a machine that could easily do it for me. These are great for sandwiches. They also remind me of something you'd see included in the traditional German breakfast spread. Several years have passed since my trip to Germany, but their breakfasts are unbelievable! All of the local meats, cheeses, bread, fresh yogurt! I want to go back...

Every blue moon, I crave a ham and swiss sandwich. So, I made up a ham and swiss for my bretzel sandwich and paired with... pretzels! The recipe makes 8 rolls so we have some left over. I think I'll shoot for an egg sandwich this evening!

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About Me

One day, I realized that I no longer had an appetite to eat the food that I had been eating daily for the past 10+ years of my life. I vowed to learn how to prepare appetizing meals, try new things and embrace the kitchen. I created this blog to document my journey away from a life of takeout.